We hope you are ready for a fabulous summer of cycling. There are maintenance courses and Dr Bikes to get your bike in good shape, some led rides and all our usual summer courses for children and adults to develop your cycle skills and build your confidence.
Time for a good ride
Imagine riding through central London on closed roads. On Saturday 28 July you can enjoy an eight-mile circuit taking in iconic landmarks, such as Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Bank of England. The Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle is, er free, but you need to register in advance here. Cycle Islington are organising a feeder ride leaving from Highbury Fields at 10.30am and a return ride from the Museum of London at 3pm.
You can also find many local organised rides. Local groups and ride buddies on British Cycling’s Let’s Ride website. Or you can post a ride that you’re running there.
The doctor will see you now
The council runs free Dr Bike sessions at the Town Hall on the first Wednesday of every month, 4pm-7pm, Upper Street, N1 2UD. Our mechanics can check everything on your bike from wheels, brakes, gears and tyre pressure to lights, racks, pedals, saddles and more. Any minor adjustments we can make to your bike, we do there and then. If there is something we can’t fix, we’ll let you know exactly what needs doing and a rough guide to what it should cost to repair at a local bike shop.
DIY repairs
Cycle Islington – our local London Cycling campaign group – are running free bike maintenance courses over the summer. The first is on Sunday 2 July from 11am-1pm at the Sunnyside Community Centre, Hazellville Road, N19 3LX.
And the council has also arranges some free places on a series of one-day bike maintenance courses on 25 June, 8 July and 12 August which take place in NW3.
These girls can!
If you are female and aged 14 or over you can learn how to ride confidently in London. Our This Girl Can Urban Cycle Skills course will introduce you to riding your bike on quiet local streets, dealing with junctions and finding out how to cycle in traffic. We have courses this summer in Finsbury Park. Bikes and helmets will be provided (or you are welcome to bring your own). Places are limited, so book soon:
- Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 August 10am -3pm, book here
Plus all our usual courses
Bikeability for children Islington Council has a programme of free cycling courses for children in the summer holidays. Choose from:
- Beginners (age 5-12) – for children who can’t yet ride without stabilisers
- Bikeability Level 1 (age 5-9) – teaches bike control skills off road
- Bikeability Level 2 (age 9-12) – get the skills to ride safely on road
They are taking place at venues in N4 and N1. For full details and to book, click here.
Cycle skills for adults
If you’re a beginner (or an improver) and want to practice off-road to learn to ride a bike, you can do a free basic cycle skills group course. More advanced cyclists wanting to improve their on-road riding can book some individual cycle skills sessions. Cycle skills for families To learn how to ride together as a family, you can book family cycle skills sessions.
Cycle racing for young people
Islington Cycling Club runs weekly coaching sessions for 8-15 year olds in Finsbury Park. Sessions are every Saturday, 10am-12.00noon and are run by experienced British Cycling coaches. There is a range of activities from cyclocross, time trialling to road racing in a safe and enjoyable environment. The cost is £5 per session (£3 for members). Meet at the park café. Further details here.
Happy cycling!
The Bikeability and cycle skills team